Strawberry Funfetti Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

Fluffy vanilla cake loaded with rainbow sprinkles, layered with homemade strawberry filling, and topped with the dreamiest strawberry buttercream. This cake is everything you need for birthdays, celebrations, or just because.

Sprinkles and strawberries? Yes, it’s a thing. And it’s amazing.

Some desserts just hit different.

You see them and immediately smile. That’s this cake right here.

I mean, who can resist bright rainbow sprinkles mixed with fresh strawberry flavor? Not me. It brings me straight back to being a kid at summer birthday parties, sticky fingers and all.

Here’s a fun story. Last month, my niece turned seven. She had one request: “Something pink with lots of sprinkles.” When I brought this cake to her party, you should’ve seen her face. Pure joy. Like fireworks going off in her eyes.

That moment? Worth every second I spent in the kitchen.

Now, funfetti and strawberries might seem like an odd combo at first.

But here’s the thing…

It works beautifully. The vanilla cake with those rainbow jimmies is like a blank canvas. Then you add sweet strawberry buttercream and that jammy filling between the layers?

Magic. Straight-up magic.

Let me tell you what makes this cake special.

The texture.

I use both butter and oil in the batter. Butter gives you that rich, deep flavor. Oil keeps everything super moist and fluffy for days. You get the best of both worlds without having to choose.

There’s another trick here too. I separate the eggs and whip just the whites to stiff peaks.

Why?

Two reasons:

• Using only egg whites keeps the cake bright white, so those colorful sprinkles really pop
• Whipped whites add crazy volume and make the texture light as air

The strawberry buttercream is where things get really good.

I make it with freeze-dried strawberries that I crush into powder. This gives you intense strawberry flavor and that gorgeous pink color without adding moisture. Fresh strawberries? They’ll make your frosting break down and look weird. Nobody wants curdled frosting.

Trust me on this one.

Between the cake layers, I spread a simple cooked strawberry filling.

Fresh strawberries cook down with sugar, lemon juice, and just a touch of flour. It becomes thick and jammy. Almost like strawberry preserves, but looser. It adds this beautiful fruity layer that plays perfectly with the buttercream.

I’ve made this cake for so many occasions.

Baby showers. Spring brunches. Summer picnics. Weekend baking just because. It’s festive enough for special celebrations but honestly? Not complicated enough that you need a reason.

The sprinkles make it fun and playful. Kids go crazy for it. But adults love it too because the strawberry flavor is sophisticated, not artificial or overly sweet.

It’s that rare dessert that literally everyone enjoys.

Now, I won’t lie to you.

This cake has a few steps. You’ll bake the cake layers, cook the filling, whip up the buttercream, and then assemble everything. But nothing here is difficult. Even if you’re newer to baking, you can totally handle this.

The payoff?

A stunning layered cake that tastes even better than it looks. And believe me, it looks incredible.

---

Strawberry Funfetti Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 52 minutes
Servings: 12 slices | Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredient	Quantity	Notes
Egg whites	4	Room temperature works best
Butter, softened	1/2 cup	For cake batter
Canola oil	3 Tbsp	Vegetable oil also works
Granulated sugar	1 1/2 cups	For cake batter
All-purpose flour	2 cups	Sifted for best results
Cornstarch	1/4 cup	Keeps cake tender
Salt	3/4 tsp	For cake batter
Baking powder	1 Tbsp	Fresh for best rise
Milk	1 cup	Whole milk preferred
Vanilla extract	1 1/2 tsp	Pure extract recommended
Almond extract	1/4 tsp	Optional but flavorful
Colored jimmies	1 cup	Cylindrical sprinkles only
Strawberries, chopped	1 cup	For filling
Granulated sugar	1/4 cup	For filling
Lemon juice	1 Tbsp	Fresh squeezed best
All-purpose flour	1 Tbsp	For filling thickness
Butter, softened	1 cup	For buttercream
Powdered sugar	3-4 cups	Adjust to consistency
Freeze-dried strawberries	1 cup	Crushed into powder
Heavy cream	3-4 Tbsp	For buttercream
Salt	To taste	Balances sweetness
Fresh strawberries	For garnish	Optional topping
Additional jimmies	For garnish	Optional topping

Let’s Make This Cake

Step 1: Bake the Funfetti Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Grab two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans and grease them really well. Set them aside.

Now, take your egg whites and whip them with a stand mixer or hand mixer. You want stiff peaks here. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed. Once you’ve got those peaks, set the bowl aside.

In another large bowl, cream your softened butter. Beat it until it’s light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).

Add the canola oil and granulated sugar. Beat everything together for another 1-2 minutes. This extra creaming time? That’s what gives you that amazingly light texture.

In a separate bowl, sift together your flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. Sifting gets rid of lumps and helps everything mix evenly.

Here’s where it gets a little technical, but stick with me.

Alternate adding your dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture. Start with about one-third of the flour mixture. Then add half the milk. Keep alternating, ending with the flour mixture.

Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix or your cake will be tough.

Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and those colorful jimmies. Mix until everything’s evenly distributed.

Now for the egg whites.

Gently fold them into your cake batter using a spatula. Fold carefully here. You want to keep all that air you worked so hard to whip in. Mix just until you don’t see any white streaks.

Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared pans. Use a spatula to spread it into even layers.

Bake for 20-22 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn them out onto cooling racks.

Step 2: Make the Strawberry Filling

Combine your chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and flour in a medium saucepan. Stir everything together.

Bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10-12 minutes.

You’ll see it thicken up and reduce quite a bit.

Remove from heat and let it cool completely before using. It’ll thicken even more as it cools, which is exactly what you want.

Step 3: Whip Up the Strawberry Buttercream

Beat your softened butter with a mixer for 3-4 minutes.

I know it seems like a long time, but this extra beating makes the frosting incredibly fluffy and smooth. So worth it.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, about half a cup at a time. Start with 3 cups total. Mix well after each addition.

Pour in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and beat until everything’s smooth.

Check the consistency. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Too thick? Add the remaining cream.

Mix in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries until the frosting turns that beautiful pink color.

Want to cut the sweetness a bit? Add a small pinch of salt and mix again.

Step 4: Assemble Your Beautiful Cake

Place one cake layer on your serving plate or cake stand.

Spread a thin layer of strawberry buttercream over the top.

Fill a piping bag with about one-third of your frosting. Pipe a thick border around the outer edge of the cake layer.

This is your dam. It keeps the filling from escaping.

Spoon the cooled strawberry filling into the center of the cake, right inside that frosting border.

Pipe a thin layer of frosting over the strawberry filling. Use an offset spatula to carefully spread it and create a seal. This stops the filling from soaking into your top cake layer.

Place the second cake layer on top. Press down gently but firmly.

Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of your cake. You can make it smooth or create fun decorative swirls.

Top with fresh strawberries and extra jimmies if you want.

---

Tips That’ll Save You

The Sprinkle Situation:

Always use cylindrical jimmies. Not the round ones (nonpareils). Not any other shape.

Why?

Jimmies hold their color and shape during baking. Other types melt or bleed their colors into the batter. You’ll end up with a muddy-looking cake instead of those cute colorful dots.

Butter Temperature Matters:

Your butter should be properly softened for both the cake and frosting. Press it with your finger. It should leave an indent but not be melted or greasy.

Room temperature butter creams way easier and creates better texture.

Don’t Skip the Butter Whipping:

When making the buttercream, whip that butter for the full 3-4 minutes.

This step adds air and makes your frosting light and fluffy instead of dense and heavy. It’s the difference between good frosting and amazing frosting.

The Frosting Dam is Everything:

That border you pipe around the edge? It’s crucial.

Without it, your strawberry filling will seep out the sides and soak into the bottom cake layer. The border keeps everything neat and contained.

Choose Sweet Strawberries:

For the filling, use ripe, sweet strawberries. Tart or underripe berries will make the filling taste sour, even with all that added sugar.

How to Store This Cake

Because this cake has fresh strawberry filling, you must refrigerate leftovers.

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Now here’s the thing…

I personally hate cold cake. So I always let refrigerated slices sit out for 30-60 minutes before eating. Individual slices come to room temperature way faster than the whole cake.

Want to prep ahead? You can freeze unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before assembling and frosting.

Questions You Might Have

Can I use fresh strawberries instead of freeze-dried for the buttercream?

Nope, I really don’t recommend it.

Fresh strawberries add too much moisture. Your buttercream will break down and look curdled. Not pretty.

Freeze-dried strawberries give you intense flavor and natural pink color without messing up the texture. You can find them in most grocery stores near the dried fruit or in the organic section.

What if I only have round sprinkles instead of jimmies?

Round nonpareil sprinkles will melt and bleed their color into the cake batter during baking.

The result won’t look clean or vibrant. If you absolutely must use them, just know your cake will have a slightly mottled appearance instead of distinct colorful dots.

Can I make this as cupcakes instead of a layer cake?

Absolutely!

This batter makes about 24 cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 16-18 minutes.

Pipe the strawberry buttercream on top and add a small spoonful of strawberry filling in the center of each cupcake. So cute.

How do I prevent my cake layers from doming in the middle?

Use baking strips around your cake pans. Or bake at a slightly lower temperature (325°F) for a few minutes longer.

You can also just level the domed tops with a serrated knife once the cakes cool completely. That’s what I usually do.

Can I make any components ahead of time?

Yes! And honestly, it makes life easier.

Here’s what you can do:

• Bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead and wrap them tightly
• Make the strawberry filling up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it
• Make the buttercream a day ahead, store it in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature and re-whip before using

This way you’re not scrambling to do everything at once.

---